This holiday season I urge you to consider coming over to the green side. And no, I’m not just talking color scheme! I want to encourage you to consider thinking green when wrapping presents. That means no more disposable bows or paper that isn’t recyclable!
Imagining wrapping presents outside the conventional realm may feel daunting, but allow me to walk you through the process! You will soon find that all it takes is a little creativity and intentionality. Plus it creates a unique look that will surely stand out amongst the conventional, consumer style way of wrapping that you will see all around during December. One of my favorite ways to decorate holiday presents is with fresh, botanical elements. If you would like to learn just how exactly I do this, read on!
How to Wrap Holiday Presents With Botanical Elements
Lets start with the basics…
Conventional wrapping paper isn’t recyclable, but guess what is? Brown kraft paper, and it just so happens to be a trending wrapping style on Pinterest! Once opening presents is done, just toss it all into the recycling bin. It’s easy and much better for mother earth!
Or consider this alternative… Have any pretty decorative tins lying around? Try putting your presents in them. If the tins look pretty enough, maybe consider skipping wrapping altogether! I have used my Loccitane tin for years and love the homemade holidays look and feel it embodies. You might even consider searching antique stores and Etsy for vintage tins!
The Botanical Elements:
Now let’s get to the creative part! You can gather and design with just about anything you like here, but I’ll just be sharing what I used in the photos below.
~ Fresh Greenery
Fresh greenery smells good and achieves a seasonal look minimally. Therefore, in my opinion, I believe you need to incorporate it into your gift wrapping this year! Plan a slow, relaxing Saturday morning hike and collect pine tree clippings, or stop by your local grocery store for winter greens. My favorite grocery store for greenery is Trader Joe’s. I find they have the best varieties!
Once you have collected a variety of winter greens to decorate with, cut them into sprigs and get creative! As pictured, I simply tucked my greenery into ribbon, but you could also tape it to your presents with washi tape too!
~ Dried Flowers
Dried flowers just may be my most favorite way to decorate holiday presents. I mean, how much more effortlessly beautiful does it get? You’ll have a hard time going wrong this route, no matter what flowers you choose. There are a couple ways you can decorate a present with dried flowers…
Try taping a couple stems to the middle of the box with something cute like washi tape, or wrap ribbon or twine around the box and tuck the stems under it. Or if you really want to make a stunning statement, wrap ribbon through one of my mini dried flower wreaths from my Etsy shop, and place it in the center of the gift box.
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~ Handmade Ribbon
Last but most definitely not least, handmade ribbon! What tends (in my opinion), to really elevate the look of holiday presents is the ribbon tied around the box. You could go the conventional route, purchasing ribbon from big box stores like Michaels, that aren’t biodegradable and will therefore sit in a landfill.. or, you could shop small and use plant dyed ribbon made of natural elements that can break down if tossed in the garbage! My top favorite plant dyed ribbon to use is Native Ribbon, hands down! For a nice budget-friendly option, try using Native Ribbon’s gift bundles that are just $12 each. I am using Anastasia Marie Shop’s green moss velvet ribbon and Fringe And Rose’s ribbon in the photo’s.
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